- Retired FBI exec sues after wrongful DUI arrest despite zero alcohol or drugs.
- Claims officer fabricated probable cause; bodycam allegedly contradicts affidavit.
- Case adds to growing wave of “sober DUI” lawsuits across Tennessee.
On Father’s Day in 2025, Allison Tsiumis was involved in a minor fender bender. It should’ve ended with an exchange of information, but instead, she’s still feeling the ripple effect after police arrested her for DUI. Tsiumis, a retired 33-year veteran of the FBI, had no drugs or alcohol in her system. Now, she’s suing the city and the arresting officer, arguing the entire ordeal was built on shaky, if not outright false, probable cause.
According to the former agent, when Officer Christian Ferraras arrived on the scene of the accident, the tone shifted quickly. Tsiumis says Ferraras immediately zeroed in on suspected impairment, claiming he smelled alcohol. She denied drinking. A blood test would later back her up completely. Still, she was arrested and put through the normal procedure associated with DUI.
Read: Sober Drivers Are Getting Arrested For DUI And The Reason Will Make You Furious
Tsiumis described being booked, fingerprinted, and held in jail to WVLT. This was an especially jarring experience given her decades-long career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Even after release, the consequences kept stacking up. She was required to install an ignition interlock device, typically reserved for convicted DUI offenders, despite not being found guilty.
That device, she says, created its own safety risks. At one point, her car reportedly shut down in traffic due to compatibility issues with modern start-stop systems, leaving her stranded in an intersection. Tsiumis’ lawsuit claims the officer’s affidavit doesn’t match what’s shown on bodycam footage. She alleges inaccuracies and false statements were used to justify the arrest, raising serious questions about how probable cause is being established in DUI cases.
This is a rough situation on its own but sadly, it’s far from rare in Tennessee. The state is becoming somewhat notorious for sober DUI arrests. In August of 2025, the state said it had made 600 such arrests. Then, early this year, it revealed that the figure was actually more than 2,500 in the last eight years.
Tsiumis isn’t just seeking damages. She’s calling for broader reform. She wants better training, improved roadside testing, and accountability across Tennessee’s law enforcement ecosystem. It’s not hard to see why.
